WO2021080047A1

WO2021080047A1 - Oral care method using negative pressure, oral care apparatus and computer-readable recording medium on which program for executing oral care method is recorded

Info

Publication number: WO2021080047A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/014129
Authority: WO
Inventors: 현기봉
Original assignee: 주식회사 닥터픽
Priority date: 2019-10-25
Filing date: 2019-10-25
Publication date: 2021-04-29
Also published as: KR20210049264A; CN114828734A

Abstract

The present invention enables accurate oral conditions to be delivered to an expert by accumulating/exchanging oral care data beyond personal oral care. An embodiment provides an oral care method using negative pressure, comprising: an image acquisition step for acquiring image information about a mouthpiece after applying negative pressure while a user wears the mouthpiece with an air flow path formed therein; a bleeding determination step for determining whether or not there is red in the image information about the mouthpiece; a bleeding area determination step for determining, when it is determined that there is bleeding, a bleeding area from among a plurality of areas into which the mouthpiece is divided; and a storage step for storing information about the bleeding area in a storage or a server.

Description

An oral care method utilizing negative pressure, an oral care device, and a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the oral care method is recorded

The present invention relates to an oral care method and apparatus using negative pressure, and a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the oral care method is recorded.

Food debris present in teeth or oral cavity decays over time, causing bad breath or causing various oral diseases such as tooth decay and gum disease. In order to maintain healthy teeth and oral conditions, you should always keep your mouth clean, such as brushing your teeth frequently and rinsing your mouth with mouthwash.

In general, toothbrushes and dental floss are used to clean teeth.However, it is difficult to completely remove food debris between teeth by using only the toothbrush and floss, and excessive use of these may cause damage to the gums or periodontals. have.

Accordingly, in recent years, various structures have been proposed for oral cleaning devices capable of washing the oral cavity by spraying washing water. Conventional oral irrigation device is a device configured to remove foreign substances stuck between the mouth or teeth by spraying water or disinfectant cleaning liquid at high pressure, and a container that holds the cleaning liquid, a spray nozzle, and a pump that supplies the cleaning liquid from the container to the spray nozzle. It was provided in a form including, but in the case of this type of cleaning device, there is a problem that the liquid splashes out or the liquid passes to the throat if the user is not careful.

Accordingly, the present inventors have proposed a technique for rinsing the oral cavity or stimulating the gums in a manner of applying and releasing negative pressure while supplying a liquid to prevent the washing liquid from passing to the throat (refer to Patent Document 1).

However, in the case of Patent Document 1, the supply of liquid is required, and the collected liquid must also be stored or drained in a container, so that the volume is increased or a locational limitation occurs, and there is a problem in the convenience of use.

On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses an apparatus for treating gums using negative pressure.

(Patent Document 1) KR2019-0001262 A

(Patent Document 2) US 2017/0165040 A1

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an oral care method and apparatus that can conveniently manage the oral cavity.

An object of the present invention is to provide an oral care method and apparatus capable of delivering accurate oral conditions to experts by accumulating/exchanging oral care data beyond personal oral care.

The present invention provides the following oral care method and apparatus in order to achieve the above object.

The present invention provides an image acquisition step of obtaining image information on a mouthpiece after applying a negative pressure while wearing a mouthpiece having an air flow passage formed thereon; A bleeding determination step of determining whether there is red color in the image information of the mouthpiece; If it is determined that there is bleeding, a bleeding area determination step of determining an area of bleeding among areas divided into a plurality of the mouthpieces; And a storage step of storing the information on the bleeding region in a storage or in a server.

In one embodiment, in the image acquisition step, when the mouthpiece is matched with the image of the camera, image information of the mouthpiece may be automatically acquired.

In one embodiment, in the step of determining the bleeding area, the region in which the mouthpiece is partitioned may be divided into an inner side and an outer side along a central portion in the extending direction of the mouthpiece, and both ends in the extending direction may be divided.

In one embodiment, in the bleeding region determination step, bleeding is determined in a plurality of regions, and when at least two of the plurality of regions are adjacent to each other, a bleeding region checking step may be performed, and the bleeding region checking step may be performed by a plurality of adjacent regions. It is possible to select a portion of the regions in which the most red color is confirmed, and verify whether the other region corresponds to the bleeding region through the contrast between the other region and the region in which the most red color is confirmed.

In an exemplary embodiment, in the step of checking the bleeding area, a portion in which the most red color is found among a plurality of adjacent areas may be selected, and the other area may be determined as a bleeding area only when the red area relative to the total area of the area exceeds a predetermined ratio.

In an exemplary embodiment, in the determining of the bleeding area, the bleeding area may be determined through differently partitioned areas.

In one embodiment, when the mouthpiece is inserted into the oral cavity, a space portion capable of accommodating at least one of an upper side or a lower side is formed, and includes a flexible outer wall forming the space portion, wherein the outer wall includes the space portion The protrusion is formed to the side, so that even when negative pressure is applied, the outer wall can be prevented from being excessively adhered to the teeth and the gums.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for executing the above-described method is recorded.

In one embodiment, an oral care device utilizing negative pressure including an oral care unit and an oral condition determination unit, wherein the oral care unit is a mouthpiece formed with a space capable of accommodating at least one of the upper and lower teeth when inserted into the oral cavity. ; A suction pump connected to the mouthpiece; And a power supply connected to the suction pump, wherein an opening that can be directly opened or closed by a user or automatically opened and closed is connected between the mouthpiece and the suction pump, and the mouthpiece is a flexible outer wall forming the space portion. Including, according to the operation of the suction pump and whether the opening is opened, the outer wall is deformed, and the oral state determination unit is a photographing unit for acquiring an image of the mouthpiece; A bleeding area determination unit determining a bleeding area from the image of the photographing unit; A display unit showing the bleeding area information to a user; And a communication unit for transmitting the bleeding area information to the server.

In one embodiment, the bleeding area determination unit determines an area with bleeding among the areas divided into a plurality of the mouthpieces, bleeding is determined in one area or a plurality of adjacent areas, and checks whether or not the adjacent bleeding area is bleeding again. can do.

In one embodiment, the bleeding region determination unit may select a portion of the adjacent bleeding regions in which the most bleeding is confirmed, and determine the other region as a bleeding region only when the bleeding area relative to the total area of the region exceeds a predetermined ratio.

In one embodiment, the mouthpiece may have a protrusion protruding toward the space portion on the outer wall so as to prevent the outer wall from being excessively adhered to the teeth and gums even when negative pressure is applied.

The present invention can provide an oral care method and apparatus that can conveniently manage the oral cavity through the above configuration.

The present invention can provide an oral care method and apparatus capable of delivering accurate oral conditions to an expert by accumulating/exchanging oral care data beyond personal oral care.

1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an oral care device according to the present invention.

2 is a schematic diagram of a trap part of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an oral care device according to the present invention.

4 is a state diagram according to an operation in a state in which teeth are disposed in the space portion of the mouthpiece of the embodiment of FIG. 3, (a) is a state diagram when the opening is opened, and (b) is a state diagram when the opening is closed.

5 is a schematic diagram of an oral condition determiner of the oral care device of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of the oral care method according to the present invention.

7 is a schematic diagram after using the oral care device.

8 is a schematic diagram of an image acquisition step.

9 is a schematic diagram of a step of displaying a bleeding area.

10 to 13 are schematic diagrams of image processing of the obtained mouthpiece image information.

14 is a schematic diagram of a service using the oral condition determiner of the present invention.

15 is another flow chart of the oral care method according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state of changing a division according to FIG. 15.

*Explanation of sign*

1: oral care device 100: oral condition determination device

10: mouthpiece 11: outer wall

12: protrusion 13: outlet

15: branch part 20: trap part

30: suction pump 40: motor

50: control unit 60: power supply unit

70: case 72: groove

75: switch

110: photographing unit 120: bleeding area determination unit

121: bleeding determination unit 122: verification unit

130: storage unit 140: communication unit

150: display

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to an oral care device, including an oral care device (1) that provides negative pressure to teeth and gums in a state inserted into the oral cavity, including a mouthpiece, and image information of the used mouthpiece of the oral care device (1). It includes an oral condition determiner 100 to obtain and determine the oral condition. After describing the oral care device 1 through FIGS. 1 to 4, the oral condition determiner 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an oral care device 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a trap part 20 of the oral care device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the oral care device 1 has a mouthpiece 10 connected to the trap part 20 through a branch part 15, and the trap part 20 is a suction pump 30, a suction pump 30 ) And a power supply unit 60 for supplying power to the motor 40 and a control unit 50 connected to the power supply unit 60 to control the motor 40. The branching part 15 branches the connection passage between the mouthpiece 10 and the trap part 20 into the opening 18.

The opening 18 is a passage that is open toward the outside, and is configured to be able to close the opening through a user's finger or a body part or other mechanism.

The mouthpiece 10 includes a flexible outer wall 11 forming a space portion and a protrusion 12 extending from the outer wall to the space portion. When negative pressure is applied to the mouthpiece 10, the protrusion 12 wipes the tooth surface and stimulates the gums while the outer wall 11 is deformed, and prevents the outer wall from being excessively adhered to the teeth and the gums. The mouthpiece 10 has an outlet 13 connected to the trap 20 or the opening 18 through the branch 15.

The branch portion 15 is disposed in a connection passage connecting the mouthpiece 10 and the trap portion 20 and forms a branch toward the opening 18. Accordingly, the mouthpiece 10, the trap portion 20, and the opening 18 communicate with each other.

The trap part 20 has an inlet 23 formed in the upper part 21 and an outlet 24 formed in the lower part 22, as shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 2, and the fluid introduced from the inlet 23 is It is a labyrinth water trap structure formed to pass through the

protrusions

25 and 26 formed in the upper part 21 and the lower part 22 and then exit to the outlet 24. As the liquid passes through the

protrusions

25 and 26, the liquid passes through the protrusions ( 25, 26) is not exceeded and falls, and only the gas escapes to the outlet 24. In this embodiment, the trap unit 20 is a labyrinth type, but is not limited thereto, and may have various structures as long as it can collect liquid. The trap unit 20 is to prevent the inflow of liquid, for example, saliva, in the oral cavity to the suction pump 30, to prevent failure of the suction pump 30 and to perform hygienic management, but to the suction pump 30 If liquid enters, or if it is possible to wash separately, the trap unit 20 may be omitted.

The suction pump 30 and the motor 40 may use a reciprocating piston type suction pump 30 and a motor 40 that provides power to reciprocate the piston in this embodiment, and other suction pumps may be used.

The control unit 50 is connected to the motor 40 and the power supply unit 60 to control the motor 40. The controller 50 not only performs a separate role, but also includes a simple power-off role.

The power supply unit 60 may use a battery, for example, a lithium ion battery, and the power supply unit 50 is directly or indirectly connected to the motor 40 and the control unit 60. Also, although not shown, a structure in which a terminal for charging the power supply unit 50 is connected to be charged with an external power source may be applied.

In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1, all configurations including the mouthpiece 10 may be accommodated in one handy type case.

Referring to the operation of FIG. 1, when the control unit 60 operates the motor 40, the motor 40 generates a negative pressure through the suction pump 30. When the opening 18 is blocked, the air in the mouthpiece 10 is moved to the suction pump 30 through the branch part 15 and the trap part 20 by the negative pressure formed by the suction pump 30, The air in the space of the mouthpiece 10 is reduced, so that the flexible outer wall 11 is deformed, and the protrusion 12 formed on the outer wall 11 presses or scratches the teeth or gums to clean the oral cavity or massage the gums. To do.

When the opening 18 is open, since the suction pump 30 is directly connected to the outside, the air of the mouthpiece 10 does not move to the suction pump 30, and the deformed outer wall of the mouthpiece 10 (11) returns to the circular shape by elasticity. Even in this process, the projections formed on the outer wall 11 perform oral cleaning or gum massage.

In this embodiment, the opening 18 can be opened and closed by a user, and the deformation of the mouthpiece 10 is controlled by opening and closing the opening 18. That is, instead of brushing, the user who is holding the mouthpiece 10 may clean the mouth or perform a gum massage while opening and closing the opening 18 with a part of the body such as a finger.

As can be seen in this embodiment, in the case of the oral care device according to the present invention, liquid is not used, and the negative pressure formed by the suction pump 30 and the deformation of the mouthpiece 10 due to the negative pressure are utilized, The configuration is simple and, therefore, not only can be implemented in a small size, but also its weight is light.

In addition, the outer wall of the mouthpiece 10 is formed of a flexible material, for example, silicone, rubber, or the like, and may be deformed by negative pressure. In the oral care device 1 of the present invention, fluid other than air does not pass through the mouthpiece 10, and since a plurality of protrusions 12 are formed in the mouthpiece 10, foreign matter or blood that has fallen from the teeth or gums It remains in the mouthpiece 10 after use is finished, and therefore, the oral condition can be determined by photographing the mouthpiece 10 after use. In this process, a fluid or the like is not passed into the mouthpiece 10 through an individual inlet, but a separate substance such as a foam toothpaste may be applied to the mouthpiece 10 and used for oral care.

3 to 4 shows another embodiment of the oral care device of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the oral care device according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a state diagram according to the operation in a state in which teeth are arranged in the space portion of the mouthpiece of the embodiment of Figure 3, (a) is When the opening is opened, (b) shows a state diagram when the opening is closed.

In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 10 is connected to the trap portion 20, and the branch portion 15 is positioned between the trap portion 20 and the suction pump 30. The rest of the configuration except for the mouthpiece 10 and the trap unit 20 is located inside/outside the handy case 70. That is, the branch unit 15, the suction pump 30, the motor 40, the control unit 50, the power supply unit 60, and the switch 75 are located inside or outside the case 70.

On the other hand, the branch portion 15 is configured to be connected to a pipe 19 through which a fluid can flow through an opening 18 that is located between the trap portion 20 and the suction pump 30 and is opened toward the outside. The tube 19 is connected toward the outer surface of the case 70 so that the opening 18 can be opened/closed from the outside. A groove 72 corresponding to the shape of a finger is formed around the opening 18 in the case 70. That is, when viewed from the case 70, the opening 18 is located in the finger-shaped groove 72. Alternatively, the opening 18 may be disposed on the protrusion formed on the outer surface of the case 70 rather than the groove 72. In the case where the opening 18 is disposed in the groove 72 or the protrusion, when the user holds the case 70, the opening 18 can be found only by tactile sensation, so that it can be easily used.

In this embodiment, the mouthpiece 10 may use the same mouthpiece as the embodiment of FIG. 1. Differently, a plurality of outlets 13 are formed in the mouthpiece 10, so that a plurality of pipes connected to the plurality of outlets 13 are combined directly or in the middle of the trap 20 to be connected to the trap 20. May be. The mouthpiece 10 is configured such that the protrusion 12 cleans or stimulates teeth or gums while the outer wall 11 is deformed or restored according to the negative pressure formed by the suction pump 30.

The branch part 15 is a T-shaped tube in this embodiment, a tube 28 connected to the trap part 20 on one side, a tube connected to the suction pump 30 on the other side, and an opening on the other side. A pipe 19 having (18) is connected, so that the trap portion 20, the suction pump 30 and the opening 18 are communicated. The branch portion 15 is not limited to a specific shape or a specific structure, as long as the three configurations, the trap portion 20, the suction pump 30, and the opening 18 can be connected. A structure in which the opening 18 is connected to the suction pump 30 and the suction pump 30 is connected to the trap unit 20 is that the opening 18, the suction pump 30, and the trap unit 20 are in communication. It is the same as that in which the branching part 15 is arranged in the suction pump 30.

It goes without saying that the trap unit 20 may have a different shape as long as it can separate the liquid from the fluid flowing into the trap unit 20 through the mouthpiece 10.

The suction pump 30, the motor 40, and the power supply unit 60 are the same as in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

The control unit 50 is connected to the power switch 75, and the power switch 75 has one end located inside the case 70, and one end exposed outside the case 70 so that the user can control whether or not the motor is operated. It is composed.

The case 70 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a diameter that can be held in one hand, but is not limited thereto. The trap unit 20 is connected to the case 70 so as to be attached/detached. A streamlined shape may be added to improve grip, or a friction material may be added to prevent slipping.

The power switch 75 and the groove 72 may be disposed in different orientations in the approximately cylindrical case 70, and preferably, when the case 70 is held by hand, the power switch 75 is approximately It is disposed at the position where the finger is located, and the groove 72 may be disposed at the position where the index finger is approximately located, so the user controls the power on/off with the thumb and controls the formation of sound pressure with the index finger. It is possible to take care of the oral cavity. The switch 75 and the groove 72 are disposed at different azimuth angles on the plane of the case 70 so that the thumb and the index finger are positioned when the user holds the case.

The operation will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

In this embodiment, when the power switch 75 is not operated, that is, when the power is not supplied or the opening 18 is opened, the inside of the mouthpiece 10 is shown in Fig. 4(a). , The appearance of the inside of the mouthpiece 10 when the power is supplied and the opening 18 is blocked is shown in FIG. 4(b).

When the power switch 75 is turned on, the suction pump 30 is operated by the motor 40. However, since the suction pump 30 is connected to the opening 18 through the branch portion 15, even if the suction pump 30 is operated, the state of Fig. 4(a) is maintained unless the opening 18 is blocked. do.

In the state in which the suction pump 30 is operated, when the user blocks the opening 18 with a part of the human body such as a finger or other means, the suction pump 30 is not connected to the outside, so the space portion of the mouthpiece 10 It sucks in air, and negative pressure is built up. Accordingly, as the outer wall 11 of the mouthpiece 10 is deformed, the protrusion 12 formed on the outer wall 11 presses or scratches the teeth T or the gums to clean the oral cavity or massage the gums.

As soon as the opening 18 is opened, the suction pump 30 is directly connected to the outside, so that the negative pressure in the space of the mouthpiece 10 disappears, the deformed outer wall 11 of the mouthpiece 10 is circular due to elasticity. Return to shape.

In this embodiment, the opening 18 may be opened or closed by a part of the human body such as a user's finger or other means, and the deformation of the mouthpiece 10 is controlled by opening and closing the opening 18. That is, instead of brushing, the user who is biting the mouthpiece 10 may clean the mouth or perform a gum massage while opening and closing the opening 18 with a part of the body such as a finger.

In particular, the degree of deformation is determined according to the time the opening 18 is closed. Since the user can determine whether to open/close the opening 18 by a desired degree, that is, a desired time, opening/closing the opening 18 in a predetermined pattern. It may be more satisfying to the user than to it.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the oral condition determiner 100 of the oral care device of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the oral condition determiner 100 determines the bleeding area from the image of the image of the mouthpiece 10 and the imaging unit 110 that can acquire the image information of the mouthpiece 10. Part 120; A storage unit 130 for storing the bleeding area information; A communication unit 140 capable of transmitting the bleeding area information to a server; And a display unit 150 for displaying the bleeding area information to a user.

The oral condition determiner 100 may be a personal portable terminal, a smart phone, or an electric device.

In the oral condition determiner 100, the photographing unit 110 is a camera, and digitalizes the image of the mouthpiece 10 through a CCD. The photographing unit 110 can be operated by the user's manipulation, but it is also possible to convert the image of the mouthpiece 10 into digital information automatically when a shape corresponding to the mouthpiece 10 is captured on the photographing screen of the photographing unit 110. Do.

The bleeding area determination unit 120 corresponds to a processor that determines the bleeding area from image information acquired by the photographing unit 110. The bleeding area determination unit 120 may include a bleeding determination unit 121 and a verification unit 122.

Bleeding may occur from the gums when negative pressure is applied to the mouth or when the gums are in poor condition. In particular, when negative pressure is applied, the pressure in the space inside the mouthpiece 10 is low, so it is easily bleeding in the inflamed area, and the protrusion 12 provided in the mouthpiece 10 presses the gums to bleed from the unhealthy gum Help. In the present invention, a liquid such as water is not circulated, and blood from the gums remains inside the mouthpiece 10 due to viscosity, and the used mouthpiece 10 can check blood from the gums by naked eye or photographing. have. The mouthpiece 10 is advantageous in determining the presence or absence of bleeding in the case of a color different from the red color, for example, white or transparent color, as much as possible.

The bleeding area determination unit 120 detects blood, that is, a red area from the digitized image information. In this case, the bleeding area determination unit 120 determines a red area (red area) and a non-red area among the areas in which the mouthpiece 10 is divided into a plurality of pieces.

The bleeding determining unit 121 may determine a red portion from a color value in a color image state, and may determine a red portion from a gray value after gray processing the color image.

Even if the bleeding determination unit 121 determines that the red area is determined, in order to specify the exact bleeding position, the verification unit 122 verifies whether the red area is the bleeding area. The verification unit 120 is a red area in a plurality of areas, and when the adjacent area is red, it is a part that verifies whether blood due to bleeding has been moved to the next area or whether the division line is set incorrectly. Is seen as a bleeding area, but the red area is divided by comparing the ratio of red in the total area area or the area occupied by red in the area with much red color and the area occupied by red in the area with less red color. Verify whether it has bleeding from the gum corresponding to the area or has passed from the area next to it.

Since the space portion of the actual mouthpiece 10 is not partitioned, a little blood may move sideways when there is bleeding. Since there is a protrusion 12 and only air flows in the space, most of the blood is buried in the bleeding position, but even a small amount may be moved toward the outlet 13. The verification unit 122 determines whether the detected blood has moved or whether there is other bleeding. In addition, the division line as shown in FIG. 16 may perform a function of compensating for a possibility that not all of the mouthpieces may be uniformly applied to the mouthpiece at each time of photographing.

The bleeding area determination unit 120 determines a red area as a bleeding area through the bleeding determination unit 121 and the verification unit 122, and determines a portion other than the red area as a non-bleeding area.

The storage unit 130 is connected to the bleeding area determining unit 120 and stores information (bleeding area information and image information) provided from the bleeding area determining unit 120 in the terminal. The information stored in this way is stored as a record of the gum condition, and can be viewed by the user or the doctor in charge.

The communication unit 140 is connected to the bleeding area determination unit 120 and transmits information (eg, bleeding area information, user identification information, and image information) provided from the bleeding area determination unit 120 to a server connected to the network. do. The transmitted information is stored on the server, and can be provided at the request of a user or a doctor in charge.

The display unit 150 is connected to the bleeding area determining unit 120 and displaying information (bleeding area information and image information) provided by the bleeding area determining unit 120 in an image or text format so that a user can easily grasp it. The display unit 150 may be a display configuration or an output configuration. The display unit 150 may additionally display the information of the bleeding area determination unit 120 and additional information suitable for a corresponding situation.

6 shows a flow chart of the oral care method according to the present invention, FIG. 7 shows a state after using the oral care device, and FIG. 8 shows a state of the image acquisition step S100, and FIG. 9 A state of displaying the bleeding area (S190) is shown, and in FIGS. 10 to 13, embodiments for determining the bleeding area in the partitioned area of the mouthpiece are shown.

As shown in Fig. 6, the oral care method according to the present invention starts from using the oral care device 1. The user uses the oral care device 1 (S000), and since the mouthpiece 10 of the oral care device 1 used in this way shows the user's oral condition, oral care is possible using this. At this time, the oral care device 1 used may be the oral care device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. As shown in FIG. 7, when there is gum bleeding in the used mouthpiece 10, the bleeding trace (B) is confirmed in red.

The used mouthpiece 10 is imaged by a photographing unit 110 such as a camera of the oral condition determiner 100. That is, the image information of the mouthpiece 10 is acquired by the photographing unit 110 of the oral condition determiner 100 (S100). FIG. 8 shows a state in which the mouthpiece 10 is photographed by the camera of the oral condition determiner 100. The image information acquisition (S100) of the mouthpiece 10 may be performed in a manner of loading an image captured by the user, and when the image of the camera matches the image of the mouthpiece, it is automatically recognized and image information is performed. It could be.

The image information thus obtained is organized into data through the image processing step (S110). In this case, the data may be grayed out and organized, or may be organized in color color coordinates. In addition, in the image processing step (S110), it is possible to divide the image of the mouthpiece 10 into predetermined partitions, and to organize data for each partitioned area.

The image data arranged in this way is determined whether there is a red pixel (S120), and if there is no red pixel, the oral care method is terminated, and if there is a red pixel, the process proceeds to a later step. Since the red pixel is a trace of bleeding gums remaining on the mouthpiece 10, a subsequent step (S130) is performed in order to accurately specify the bleeding region.

When there is a red pixel, it is determined whether the red pixel is in a plurality of areas or a single area among the divided areas of the mouthpiece 10 (S130).If there is a red pixel in only a single area, the red area with the red pixel is bleeding. The process proceeds to the step of determining the region (S180), and when there are red pixels in a plurality of regions, that is, if there are a plurality of red regions, the next step (S140) is performed.

When there are multiple red areas, it is determined whether the red areas are adjacent to each other (S140), and when there are adjacent areas, the next step (S150) is performed, and when there are no adjacent areas, each of the red areas is determined as a bleeding area. (S180). In this case, the areas adjacent to each other mean the areas where the surfaces of the areas are in contact with each other, and the areas where the edges are in contact are not regarded as adjacent areas.

When there is an adjacent red area, an area with many red pixels is determined (S150). Since more red pixels mean more blood remains, at least the most bleeding occurred in the gums corresponding to that area, the area corresponds to the area of bleeding, and the red pixel found in the adjacent area is in the adjacent area. It is necessary to determine whether blood bleeding from the corresponding gums, blood bleeding from the gums corresponding to the area where there were many red pixels, passed to the side area, or whether the division line was slightly distorted when photographing.

This determination is performed in step S160. In the verification step (S160), when the ratio of the red pixels to the total pixels in the neighboring area of the area where there were many red pixels is more than a predetermined standard, for example, when the red pixels are more than 20% of the total pixels, it is determined that there was bleeding in the corresponding area as well. do.

Such a judgment can be made as a comparison judgment in addition to the judgment within the area. That is, when the number of red pixels in the neighboring region is more than 20% of the number of red pixels in the region where there are many red pixels, it is determined that there is bleeding in the neighboring region as well.

If the number of red pixels in the neighboring area is less than 20% of the total number of pixels in the neighboring area, or less than 20% of the number of red pixels and the number of red pixels in the neighboring area, the neighboring area is red to determine that there is no bleeding despite the presence of red pixels. Excluded from the area (S170).

Thereafter, the red area in which the red pixel is located is determined as a bleeding area (S180). However, in this step, in the case of a neighboring area that has a red pixel in step S170 but it is determined that it is not a red area, it is determined that it is not a bleeding area because it is excluded from the red area, and the next step is performed.

The bleeding area information is stored in the storage unit 130 in S190 or displayed on the display unit 150. When displayed on the display unit 150, as shown in FIG. 9, the bleeding area may be displayed on the 3D oral model so that the user can easily recognize it. At this time, it is possible to simultaneously show a method for improving the bleeding area together with the indication of the bleeding area. For example, show advice such as a phrase to brush well around the bleeding area or to visit your doctor because bleeding has occurred for a long period of time. In addition, when a user selects a specific area, a guide necessary for management such as changes in bleeding patterns over time can be presented.

After that, the bleeding area information is transmitted to the server through the communication unit 140. The bleeding area information is stored interlocked with personal terminal information and can be used as personal oral condition information, and since it is stored in a server, it is possible to share oral condition information with the user's doctor if necessary. In addition, the server administrator can use the stored information in various ways.

This oral care method may be stored as a recording medium readable by a computer in which a program for executing the method is recorded, and may be distributed as an app through a server.

A management method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13.

10 to 13 show images obtained by processing the obtained mouthpiece image information, and the image of the mouthpiece is divided into 10 regions. The partition is divided into inner and outer portions along the central portion in the extending direction of the mouthpiece, and both ends in the extending direction are divided, and the left and right portions are divided into quarters by crossing the extending direction of the mouthpiece excluding the end. That is, the image of the mouthpiece is divided into right front inside, right front outside, right rear inside, right rear outside, right end, left front inside, left front outside, left rear inside, left rear outside, and left end. The division into 10 areas is based on the size of a general toothbrush head, so that the user can intuitively recognize the provided information and easily manage the oral cavity based on this.

In FIG. 10, a red pixel was found only in the left front outer area, and there is no area other than the corresponding area, so the management method is determined as'No' in the multiple area determination (S130), and the red area is determined as a single bleeding area. (S180), the bleeding area information is displayed and notified to the user (S190), and the bleeding area information is transmitted to the server (S200).

In FIG. 11, red pixels were found in the left front outer region and the left end, and no red pixels were found outside the corresponding region. In the management method, in the multiple area determination 130, the next step is determined as'Yes' and the next step is performed, but since the next step, whether the adjacent area is red (S140) is not applicable, it goes down and determines the red area as a plurality of bleeding areas. (S180), the bleeding area information is displayed and notified to the user (S190), and the bleeding area information is transmitted to the server (S200).

In FIG. 12, red pixels were found in the left front outer, left rear outer regions, and right ends, and no red pixels were found outside the corresponding regions. In the management method, in the multi-area determination 130, the next step is determined as'Yes', and the adjacent area is red in the next step, whether the adjacent area is red (S140), so S150 corresponding to the verification step for the red area Step ~ S160 is performed.

Since there are more red pixels in the left front outer region, the left front outer region is selected as the maximum red region, and the left rear outer region adjacent thereto becomes the neighboring region.

Since the red fill cell in the neighboring region is approximately 1/5 = 20% or more of the total pixels in the region, it corresponds to'Yes' in S160 and S170 is not performed, and both the neighboring region and the maximum red region are determined to be bleeding regions. For reference, since red was not found in the adjacent area in the case of the right end area, it is determined as a bleeding area by step S180 regardless of steps S150 and S160, which are the determination steps for the adjacent area.

In FIG. 13, red pixels were found in the left front outer and left rear outer regions, and no red pixels were found outside the corresponding regions. In the management method, in the multi-area determination 130, the next step is determined as'Yes', and the adjacent area is red in the next step, whether the adjacent area is red (S140), so S150 corresponding to the verification step for the red area Step ~ S160 is performed.

Since the red pixel in the neighboring region is approximately 20% or less of the total pixels of the region, it corresponds to'No' in S160 and S170 is performed, and the neighboring region is removed from the red region. Therefore, only the maximum red area is determined as a bleeding area.

14 is a schematic diagram of a state of use of the oral condition determiner 100 according to the present invention. The oral condition determiner 100 according to the present invention includes a communication unit 140 and may store bleeding area information in the server S together with terminal information or personal identification information. The central server S may provide information recorded by a user's request through the oral condition determiner 100.

On the other hand, the server (S) may be connected to the computer or portable terminal of the in charge, and when necessary or at the request of the user, the bleeding area information of the user can be transmitted to the computer or portable terminal of the in charge. Therefore, not only can the basic remote medical treatment be possible, but also the doctor in charge can grasp the user's condition and transmit or contact the management method directly or through the server S to the user's terminal, that is, the oral condition determiner 100. .

15 is another flow chart of the oral care method of the present invention.

In the flowchart of FIG. 15, since S000 to S140 and S180 to S200 are the same, it will be replaced with the description of FIG. 5 above.

Hereinafter, a portion between S140 to S150, which is a difference between the flowchart of FIG. 15 and the flowchart of FIG. 6, will be described.

In the embodiment of FIG. 15, when the adjacent region is determined to be red, the red region is determined again by reprocessing the image information, i.e., changing the division of the image information, without immediately entering the maximum red region determination (S150).

That is, as shown in Fig. 16(a), if a red pixel is found in an adjacent area when partitioned and processed at S110, the image is processed by dividing differently as shown in Fig. 16(b) through S210, and thereafter, Determine whether it is in an adjacent area. By changing the partition area, a red pixel may not be found in the adjacent area, and in this case, it is possible to immediately determine the red area as a bleeding area without performing a step of verifying whether the adjacent area is a bleeding area.

If the red regions are adjacent even after the region is changed, the verification step S160 is performed. When the number of red pixels in the neighboring region is more than 20% of the number of red pixels in the region where there are many red pixels, it is determined that there is bleeding in the neighboring region as well.

If the area in which the number of red pixels is large and the number of red pixels is less than 20% of the number of red pixels, the neighboring area is excluded from the red area to determine that there is no bleeding despite the presence of red pixels (S170).

As described above, in the present invention, the user's gums are irritated through negative pressure, and bleeding occurs in a weakened portion of the user's gums, for example, an inflamed portion. Although the negative pressure itself is advantageous in the management of such a vulnerable part, the present invention enables continuous management by the user by detecting/storing the bleeding part, and enables accurate delivery of the oral condition to the doctor in charge.

In addition, since it is possible to accurately and conveniently recognize the bleeding part and transmit it so that the user can easily understand it, it is possible to help not only the user's attention but also self-treatment.

In the above, the embodiments of the present invention have been mainly described, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made to the implementation.

Claims

An image acquisition step of acquiring image information on the mouthpiece after applying a negative pressure while wearing the mouthpiece having an air flow passage formed thereon;

A bleeding determination step of determining whether there is red color in the image information of the mouthpiece;

If it is determined that there is bleeding, a bleeding area determination step of determining an area of bleeding among areas divided into a plurality of the mouthpieces; And

Oral management method using a negative pressure comprising a; storing step of storing the information of the bleeding area in a storage or server.
The method of claim 1,

In the image acquisition step, when a mouthpiece is matched with an image of a camera, image information of the mouthpiece is automatically acquired.
The method of claim 1,

In the step of determining the bleeding area, the area in which the mouthpiece is partitioned is divided into an inner and an outer side along a central portion in an extension direction of the mouthpiece, and both ends of the mouthpiece in an extension direction are divided.
The method of claim 1,

In the step of determining the bleeding area, bleeding is determined in a plurality of areas, and when at least two of the plurality of areas are adjacent to each other, a step of checking the bleeding area is performed.
The method of claim 4,

In the step of checking the bleeding area, a portion in which the most red color is confirmed among a plurality of adjacent areas is selected, and it is determined whether or not a bleeding area in another area is applicable through a contrast between the other area and the area in which the most red color is confirmed. Oral care using negative pressure.
The method of claim 4,

In the step of checking the bleeding area, a portion in which the most red color is found among a plurality of adjacent areas is selected, and the other area is determined as a bleeding area only when the red area to the total area of the area exceeds a predetermined ratio. One oral care method.
The method of claim 3,

In the step of determining the bleeding area, the oral management method using negative pressure, characterized in that the bleeding area is determined through areas divided differently from each other.
The method of claim 1,

When the mouthpiece is inserted into the oral cavity, a space portion capable of accommodating at least one of the upper or lower sides is formed, and includes a flexible outer wall forming the space portion, wherein a protrusion is formed toward the space portion on the outer wall. So, even if the negative pressure is applied, the oral care method using negative pressure, characterized in that the outer wall is prevented from being excessively adhered to the teeth and gums.
A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for executing the method of claim 1 is recorded.
It is an oral care device utilizing negative pressure including an oral condition determiner,

The oral condition determiner includes: a photographing unit that acquires an image of a mouthpiece providing negative pressure to the oral cavity;

A bleeding area determination unit determining a bleeding area from the image of the photographing unit;

A display unit showing the bleeding area information to a user; And

Includes; a communication unit capable of transmitting the bleeding area information to the server,

The bleeding area determining unit is an oral management device using negative pressure to determine a red area among the areas divided into a plurality of mouthpieces as a bleeding area.
The method of claim 10,

The oral care device further comprises an oral care device,

The oral care device includes: the mouthpiece formed with a space portion capable of accommodating at least one of an upper side or a lower side when inserted into the oral cavity;

A suction pump connected to the mouthpiece; And a power supply connected to the suction pump;

An opening that can be directly opened or closed by a user or automatically opened and closed is connected between the mouthpiece and the suction pump, and the mouthpiece includes a flexible outer wall forming the space, and the operation of the suction pump and the opening Oral management device using negative pressure, characterized in that the outer wall is deformed depending on whether or not it is opened.
The method of claim 11,

The bleeding area determination unit determines whether red is in an adjacent area among the divided areas, and checks whether or not the adjacent area is bleeding again.
The method of claim 12,

The bleeding area determination unit selects a portion of the adjacent area in which the most bleeding is confirmed, and the other area of the adjacent area is determined as a bleeding area only when the bleeding area relative to the total area of the area exceeds a predetermined ratio. Oral care device using.
The method of claim 13,

The mouthpiece is an oral care device utilizing negative pressure, characterized in that the outer wall is formed with a protrusion protruding toward the space portion to prevent excessive adhesion of the outer wall to the teeth and gums even if negative pressure is applied.